Custom 2000 Nissan Frontier - Kulture Klash

Marlon's Own Blood, Sweet And Tears

Dedication is to commit (oneself) to a particular cause or course of action; commitment means to pledge or obligate oneself. These two powerful words carry a lot of weight in the mini-truckin' community. They're also the main reasons why this month's Construction Zone Special features Marlon Winik's '00 Nissan Frontier on the cover. Not only has Marlon been super dedicated and committed to mini-truckin' for years, but he also went above and beyond the call of duty and poured every ounce of energy he had into building his Frontier to the extent you see. Because this is the Construction Zone Special issue, Marlon's truck is obviously in the buildup phase. You better believe, though, that this will be one of the leading mini-trucks to look for in the next year or two.

Marlon bought his Frontier brand-new in 2000, with a few plans of his own to customize his mini. He didn't think that he'd modify the truck as far as he has, however, while he was still making payments on it. With less than 8,000 miles on the odometer and still fully covered under the factory warranty, Marlon decided to take matters into his own hands and go all-out on the Frontier.

Always a huge fan of hydraulics, Marlon knew from the start that his Frontier would feature a full Red's Pro-Series hydraulic setup. He also wanted his truck as low as possible, but would need some extensive lift. He began by building the suspension to accommodate a four-pump/four-battery accumulated Red's Pro-Series setup. Armed with only a Sawzall, grinder, and welder that his girl bought him, he began to cut up the entire truck.

Since he set up the suspension with hydraulic cylinders, Marlon knew he'd have enough lift to clear a big wheel with more than a standard body drop. He decided to cut the truck to the doors and body-drop it a total of 6 inches. Now anyone that knows anything about fabrication knows that this isn't an easy feat. Marlon not only laid the truck to the doors, but he also managed to stuff 20-inch Lexani Krystals wrapped in Nitto NT 555 225/30ZR20 rubber in both the front and rear.

With a freshly doored ride laid out on 20s, Marlon was already way ahead of the game, and this was just the beginning. Since then, he and a few of his buddies have spent countless hours freshening up the exterior with a host of body mods, including a full shave job, a custom cowl-induction hood, a Grant Kustoms tailgate skin, a fully smoothed and rolled sheetmetal bed floor and smooth side walls, and a full-roof sliding ragtop.

With all the body modifications out of the way, Jared Crutchfield from Classic Traditions was enlisted to turn the exterior of this under-construction ride into more than just a super-mod'ed truck with some primer and sheetmetal. He spent an entire day just mapping out an old-school feel for Marlon's ride, wanting to keep a traditional rat-rod look to the paint scheme. So with a paint gun in hand, he went to work on the freshly sheetmetaled exterior and turned the Frontier into a truly one-of-a-kind ride.

The interior was also dealt the same old-school treatment, with a custom-built sheetmetal dash by Marlon and Mike Hokichez. With the help of Marlon's buddy Kool Laid, a set of bucket seats was wrapped and installed by E&J Upholstery. To round out the look and match the exterior, the swirled-sheetmetal look was carried into the interior, and a Billet Specialties steering wheel was bolted up.

Although so much has already been done to Marlon's Frontier, he assures us that he's just getting started. He has more tricks up his sleeve and said to be on the lookout for a more complete version by the end of the year. To find out all the little details that went into making this truck what it is today, check out the Lowdown.

Miscellaneous This truck is a literal testament of what one person can accomplish with his own blood, sweat, and tears, along with the dedication of a few close friends who all pull together to help each other realize their dreams